Mortal Kombat X
by caged95
Summary: Set right after the events in MK9. Following the Outworld Invasion, Earthrealm and its heroes try to regroup, but Shinnok and the Netherrealm forces attack.
1. Mourning

Sage and incents filled the air as all the monks gathered at the Wu Shi Academy. It had been a while since they had a warrior's funeral, and never before did they have a funeral for nine warriors. The caskets were laid out at the front for all to see and pay tribute. Monks began to chant their prayers as Raiden went up to place the mementos on each coffin. He carried a 9mm glock pistol in memory of the fallen hero Curtis Stryker. He then placed hook swords on the next coffin to honor the valiant efforts of Kabal. Next up was a radio and dog tags, to honor Major Jackson Briggs. He continued in this fashion for the rest of the heroes, smoke's mask was next, followed by a tomahawk for Nightwolf, a jade shroud for Jade, and a blue bladed fan for Kitana. At the last two Raiden choked up, he placed the hat down on the casket as tears began to pour down his face. Finally he placed Liu Kang's headband on the last casket and he broke down. He fell to one knee and let the tears flow down his face. Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade helped him to his feet, and the funeral continued. Silence filled the air as prayers were said for the fighters. Raiden began to speak,

"The warriors before you today fought a valiant effort and we will honor their memory. They died fighting to protect Earthrealm and their sacrifice will not remain in vain. We will strengthen our defenses and we will train many heroes. Today we will honor the dead, but tomorrow we begin rebuilding. I will not allow Earthrealm to be tormented as it has in these past days. I will go see our friends in the East; we must all be on the same page if we are to protect Earthrealm." He hung his head and walked away from the crowd. He then looked back and Johnny and Sonya, "We must speak when I return; I have an important task for you both." With that he was off in a flash of thunder and lightning.

"I don't know if I trust him anymore, those visions he was having could have easily been delusions. You saw what he did to Liu Kang. Raiden is unstable and I won't be here when he comes back. I suggest you do the same Cage."

Sonya stormed off before Johnny could say anything. He looked around and the monks were parting ways back to their rooms to mourn the losses of the heroes. For once in his life Johnny felt at a loss for words. He took off his shades and dabbed at the tears in his eyes. He wanted to believe Raiden was still okay, but Sonya did have a point, Raiden was a bit off his rocker lately. He didn't know if Earthrealm could stave off another invasion at this time they were too weak. He walked over to the caskets and bowed his head.

"Hey Kung Fu twins, really wish you were here right now, you'd know what to do. I'm pretty sure Raiden is going to want me to help him train a new batch of warriors, but I don't think I'm teacher material. Sparring partner maybe, but teaching was your guy's forte. I don't know, but I have to go do something it was good talking to you guys." Johnny then rushed off to the rooms.

He got into the room in time to see Sonya packing up her stuff into a suitcase and leaving. He stopped her at the doorway. "Hey pretty thing where are you headed?"

"Out of my way Cage."

"I'm only trying to make conversation."

"Well then don't; now get out of my way."

"Look toots, I'm just as shaken up about what happened as you are, but that doesn't mean you should go storming off. We need to stay here and regroup, figure out what we will do next."

"I know what I'm doing next and it doesn't involve me taking orders from that lunatic. Now get the fuck out of my way before I kick your ass Cage."

"Feisty! Ok seriously though, I'm pretty sure Raiden wants us to train a new batch of heroes and I need you, I trust you. Look I agree Raiden's been off recently maybe he's not all there, but we need to be here to make sure he gets better, the guy's broken up about what happened and he did stop Shao Khan in the end."

"Yea, but only after the Elder Gods stepped in. He's washed out Johnny the sooner you see that the better. I'm flattered that you trust me, but I just can't be around this anymore, I've lost so much. So many people, I just need to get away." Tears began to well up in Sonya's eyes and she tried to bat them away,

"You liked him huh?" Johnny asked moving in to try and comfort Sonya. He puts his arms around her and for a second she began to nuzzle herself into him, but as quickly as it happened she pushed him off.

"Don't you ever touch me Cage. I said I was going and that's final! Now for the last God Damn time get the hell out of my way." Johnny refused to move and Sonya attacked him. He parried her attacks and dodged all the punches she threw at him. She began to throw jabs and hooks but Cage was able to block them all. She pressured him and moved him back a bit but he continued to block everything she threw at him. "Attack me you Coward!"

She pushed harder and harder but he blocked every kick and punch she threw at him. Then she saw her opportunity. She feigned a body shot and hit him in the face with a right hook. She then kneed him in the gut and gave him a left handed uppercut. He staggered back a bit but he did not fall. Then she unloaded on him punching his ribs, and kicking his face. No matter what she did he wouldn't fall or falter. He'd keep pushing her back. She started to get really mad so she threw two punches to his face. He grabbed her left, so she tried hooking him in the face with her right, but he caught that as well. He then smiled, "I love this dance we're doing what you call it?" She had had enough of his cocky attitude. She was tired of his constant advances on her. She was tired of the fact that he would not budge. She was tired of him, tired of all this. She let her anger explode into a flip kick sending him flying back a few feet. She took her bags and looked back. His jaw was dislocated and he was putting it back in place. "Don't follow me or the next time you'll be picking that jaw up off the floor. She then got on her motorcycle and drove off angrily.

* * *

Raiden arrived at the Eastern temple, and noticed how empty it was. He walked over and talked to the Elder Monk. He learned that many of the monks had died fighting off the hordes during the Outworld invasion. The only monks that remained were too old to fight, meaning that there were no warriors that Raiden could train. He thanked the monks and then moved on to the sanctuary to the Wind God. He walked into the temple and looked around to see if he was there. Then he heard a swooshing sound and he knew that Fujin had arrived.

"Who dares enter my temple?" Fujin boomed as he materialized from the air. He looked around and recognized the intruder instantly. "Raiden my friend, what brings you to these parts? How are you?"

"Have you not heard what happened Fujin?"

"I heard whisperings, but they would not tell me too much. All that I gathered was that Earthrealm was in danger, but that you had it under control. I was told not to interfere. What happened? I can sense that there had been a great loss."

"You have no idea what happened?"

"As I said I heard only whisperings. Then I heard talk that Shao Kahn was stopped and you succeeded. Again my friend, I was forbidden to return to Earthrealm until the problem was resolved. Please tell me what happened?" Raiden began to feel a choking feeling caught in his throat, and the guilt began to rear its head back into his mind. He took a deep breath and began.

"Fujin, I almost failed Earthrealm again. It was not as bad as the last time, but it was on the verge of becoming so. I had started getting visions of the future, visions I had to prevent. I believe that I sent myself these visions in order to stop Shao Kahn. Either way the visions became a burden, and because of me many warriors died. The last descendants of The Great Kung Lao are no more. The Princess of Edenia and her advisor are dead. So many had died in our efforts to stop the madness."

"Liu Kang and Kung Lao are dead?! By the Elder Gods this is a loss most tragic. Tell me everything that happened, from the beginning." Raiden told him everything that happened leaving out no details. "This is most unfortunate, but I agree we must begin to regroup and strengthen ourselves. At this current state we will not be able to survive any other attacks. What did you have in mind?"

"I propose that we find more warriors and train them harder than ever. These people must understand the burden they will be taking on and they must be willing to accept it."

"I have one man in mind, but his whereabouts are unknown. Last I heard he was traveling alone trying to find meaning to his life. He is trained by the best this world has to offer, but he may be hard to track. His name is Kai, I believe you have met him once before."

"Yes I remember him a young warrior, around the same age as Kung Lao. He was so humble, but so determined. I remember noting that he would be a great warrior someday. Good let us find him. He will be a great asset in the future of Earthrealm. One more thing Fujin. As I told you, I am beginning to wonder if I have exhausted my time as protector of Earthrealm. When the time comes I want you to take the reins."

"If it must come to that then I will gladly do you the honor of becoming Earthrealm's new Protector. However, I have faith in you my friend, I believe you are the better choice. I still firmly confide that you will not let us down."

"If you will join me I must make a stop before we go off in search of Kai." The two Gods then teleported themselves back to the Wu Shi Academy.

Johnny was pacing back and forth deciding what it was he was going to tell Raiden when he arrived. "Hey thunder-dude…no not that. Hmmmm… Raiden Sonya has fled… no not that either. What the hell do I tell him?"

"Tell who what?" Fujin asked as he and Raiden materialized in front of Johnny Cage.

"Uh Raiden, who's the gramps?"

"Johnny Cage this is Fujin, the Wind God you will greet him with the utmost respect."

"You got Thunder-Dude. How's it going Wind-Gramps I'm Johnny Cage."

"Yes I've heard of you Mr. Cage."

"Oh my reputation precedes me."

"Just as arrogant and thick-headed as you said Raiden."

"Yes, anyway where is Sonya Blade? I must speak to you both." Johnny began to feel extremely uncomfortable. He told Raiden about Sonya leaving and the fight they had. He left out the part about her calling him a lunatic. He waited and Raiden just sighed. "I was afraid this would happen. She no longer trusts me, I don't blame her. It's a shame she left so soon, I will go after her." Johnny tried to argue but Raiden quieted him down. "I will go find Sonya Blade, in the meantime you will stay here Johnny Cage. Rest because your training will begin tomorrow. The Elder Gods willing, you will train with one of the best teachers to ever live." Raiden then looked over at Fujin and they shared a secret agreement. Fujin then evaporated into the wind. Johnny tried to ask Raiden what it was that he wanted, but he was once again silenced. "All in due time Johnny Cage you must be patient." With that he was off to go find Sonya. Johnny didn't know why but he just could not shake this feeling that something bad brewing. The moment he shook hands with Fujin, he was jolted with a feeling of dread. It wasn't the Wind God that was a problem, but there was something old and dark watching them. He didn't know how he knew, but he just had this feeling that someone was in the shadows watching him. He looked around to make sure no one was there and he went to go shower, his mind reeling at what possible threats could arise.

* * *

Sonya drove her motorcycle as far away from the Academy as she could. She looked out in the Horizon and let her thoughts flow over. She thought of all that she had fought for to save the Earth, and the price that they came with it. She knew what she was getting into but why was she allowing it to bother her so much? She had always been so calm and collected. She was always strong, but now she felt helpless. She didn't know what it was but there was a nagging in the back of her mind. A cynical voice whispering in her ear, telling her that it wasn't over. Raiden may have prevented the Armageddon he was supposed to, but she couldn't help agreeing with what Liu Kang had said, he had damned them. She knew Johnny felt the same but why did that idiot stay. Sonya just began to feel frustrated with everything. There was something eating at her, and she was sure that some Outworld demons were still lurking around. She began to ponder what she was going to do, when she saw lightning flash in front of her. She skittered to a stop and Raiden materialized in front of her. She got off her motorcycle and walked over to confront him. "What do you want?"

"Sonya Blade, I understand your pain. Were I in your situation, I would not trust me either. That being said, you have to understand what I did was not easy, the lives of the deceased weigh heavy on my soul as well."

"You know nothing!" She then rushed him and tried assaulting him with a barrage of attacks. He teleported behind her and began to talk. "I am going to tell you a story of my last failure."

"I don't want to hear your stories!" She then rushed him again, and he teleported once more, but she had anticipated this. She did a roundhouse kick but Raiden caught her leg. She then flipped her way out of it and began shooting him with her laser beams from her watch. The blows stunned him for a bit then she began to unload a flurry of upwards kicks. She was a few feet in the air and still kicking him. She then landed on her feet and shot at him as he was coming down. Raiden teleported behind her and jolted her with enough electricity to keep her in stasis for a few minutes. He then began to talk.

"I know you don't trust me after what happened, but I want to tell you a story about the time I first started off as Protector of Earthrealm. I was a young God, and a bit over my head. There was an Elder God named Shinnok who had turned on his brothers and sisters. He wanted more power so he tried to invade the Heavens and was sent to the Nether realm. He became ruler and shaped it to the Netherrealm we know today. He was upset though, and he wanted revenge on the Elder Gods. He hatched a plan to invade the Heavens and wage war on the Gods. He mounted his attack and nearly succeeded. He did not want to stop there however, he wanted to invade and control all the realms, so he started with Earthrealm. As I said I was a young God and not fully ready for what was about to come. He attacked without mercy and Earthrealm was nearly destroyed. The survivors of the thriving race at the time were forced to find refuge on a different realm. I had not trusted myself to get the job done and it almost cost me. I did not trust the Elder Gods could get it done either, and because of me an entire race was brought to near extinction. The realm I was supposed to protect was almost destroyed. I never forgave myself for that, but I promised to always put my faith in the Elder Gods, because I was weak. I trusted them and they were able to help. I had a little faith and it helped. Now I know you're hurting about the loss of Mayor Jackson Briggs, and I know what he meant to you. I also know that the disappearance of your father still troubles you greatly, but know this. You are a great warrior and I need you to help me protect Earthrealm. Also if it makes you feel better, I have chosen a successor to be Earthrealm's Protector. I feel that I am becoming more unreliable. When the time comes I will step down. I just wanted to let you know that we need you, so hopefully you can get over what you need to because we must begin rebuilding as soon as possible." He then left and Sonya was freed from her temporary paralysis. She was confused as to why Raiden told her the story but she felt a bit at ease. She was not going to let her anger cloud her logic. Earthrealm did need to be rebuilt and warriors needed to be trained. She still didn't trust the Thunder God, but she decided it would be better to stay close, so she can keep an eye on him. Before she could help, though, she was going to blow off some steam. She drove into city, set to kill the remaining Outworld demons.


	2. Problems Arise

Shinnok sat on his throne and smiled to himself. All his plans were beginning to fall in place. He was grateful for the voices that guided him in those dark days. When he was cast out he was infuriated. He deserved the immense power that his brother's denied him. He was forced to reside on the lowest levels of a dirty realm. The creature's there were vermin of the worst kind. He hated it, but he found the creatures easy to manipulate and very soon they began to follow him. He tried to take control of the realm, but the ruler had been too powerful for him. He was outmatched and was sent to eternal damnation. It was there in his suffering when he heard the voices talking to him warning him of a possible escape. The voice told him he needed to be patient, because it was doing all it could to help him. The voice said that he would aid him in his escape under one condition. He was to use his influence to conquer the realms and merge them. Lucky for the voice, Shinnok was already planning on doing exactly that whenever he escaped. Quan Chi had freed him a few days later, and the two lead a rebellion against Lucifer. He took his place at the throne and made Quan Chi his second in command. He smiled at the memories. He was grateful that Quan Chi had been such a great asset, that he rewarded the nomad with immense power. Very recently he noticed a change in the sorcerer. The fallen God knew just how strong the allure of power could be, so he took precautionary measures. When the time came he would use his amulet to destroy Quan Chi. Shinnok would rule the realms alone. As he fantasized about his plans, the sorcerer entered his chamber.

"Lord Shinnok, you summoned me?"

"Yes. I believe it is time for you to pay a visit to our friend's. Tell them it is time."

"Shall I prepare the armies as well?"

"No, I can lead my forces into battle; you just prepare the other's for the invasion. Soon enough Outworld and Earthrealm will be ours." Quan Chi and Shinnok begin to laugh maniacally. The two could practically taste the victory.

* * *

Sonya was right, as soon as she stepped foot in the city she could smell the foul creatures that remained. They reeked of blood and rotting flesh. As soon as she entered the city, she ran into a pack of tarkatans. They were tearing a poor man to bits and they were eating his flesh. She cracked her knuckles and neck and prepared for the attack.

"If you stop that now your death will be quick and painless." The tarkatans looked at each other and laughed. There were four of them in the pack and the squad leader stepped up. He sniffed the air, looked Sonya up and down, looked at his pack and broke out into laughter.

"HAHA! This foolish woman thinks she can face a tarkatan? Our steel will rip the flesh from your bones you puny mortal!"

They charged at her and she smiled. These idiots were so predictable. She used the first attacker as a springboard to launch herself over them. She then shoved her fist straight into the last one's back. Her fist sank into its skin and it howled in agony. She used her blasters to blow up the insides of the tarkatan. She dodged the flurry of blades that descended on her immediately after her stunt. She leg swept another and pinned him to the ground. She then flipped and used him as a meat shield as his comrades tore him to shreds. She got up and prepared herself for another attack.

"You fight like a coward! Where is your honor? Face us head on like a true warrior. I will ensure you bleed with honor."

Sonya just smirked and charged at the tarkatans. She slid just as they tried to slice at her. She slid between one of their legs and grabbed hold of its ankles. She then lifted herself up wrapped her legs around his head and squeezed. She squeezed her calves as tight as she could and pulled. The Tarkatans neck snapped as Sonya pulled. The last tarkatan, the leader, tried swiping at her feet. Instead he managed to help her cut the other tarkatans head clean off. She then stood and waited for the leader to attack. She blocked his attacks with ease. She then broke his arms and kicked out his knees. He was on the floor writhing in pain when she finally smashed his face in with her boot. She continued through the city and killed many tarkatans. As she slew the last of the tarkatans she felt relief surge through her. She had killed about 35 tarkatans and she was feeling battle weary. She headed back to her motorcycle when she saw him there smirking.

"Look at you! Think your big and bad don't you now Blondie?" Kano smiled and spit out a black wad of dip. "You better hope I don't kill you"

"I'd like to see you try you filthy pig!" She then spat at Kano's face. He wiped the spit from his cheek and smiled.

"I like my women with some fight. I'll take my time with you bitch."

Kano curled up into a ball and flew at Sonya with immense speed. She dodged his attack but he managed to stop and caught her with a punch. She stumbled back, but Kano pressed on. She parried and his attacks and tried to catch him off guard with a leg sweep, but he was prepared. He jumped in the air and balled up again and hit Sonya square in the chest. She fell back to the floor with a hard smack. Her vision began to blur and there was a ringing in her ears. She felt a bit dizzy, and when she looked up she was starting to see doubles. Kano charged up his laser eye and began to shoot at her. She managed to rollout of the way, but she was finding it hard to keep going. She jumped to her feet and tried to attack Kano but he was too strong for her. He twisted her arm and brought her in closer. Then he did something unexpected. He kissed her. She bit his lip really hard, so he stuck one of his knifes in her side, and then slapped her when he found out that she had drawn blood.

"If you don't bleed out, tell your boyfriend and the Thunder boy to man up. The armies are coming and things aint gonna be pretty for them." He then laughed and pushed Sonya to the ground. He began to walk away from her, but she crawled to her motorcycle. She got on and drove straight towards Kano. He turned around and clotheslined her to the ground. She hit the floor hard and blacked out.

* * *

Johnny Cage woke with a start. He had been having an amazing dream that he was on a date with the hottest supermodel he ever laid eyes on. Then halfway through the dream she began to mutter these weird incantations. At first, it seemed as if she was a radio station picking up a different frequency, but then her eyes began to bleed and she started to scream. The world around him turned to fire and he was back on the roof of the building Raiden had fought Shao Kahn. Only this time Raiden was bowing before Quan Chi, and the people surrounding Raiden were undead versions of his friends, including Sonya. He rushed to Raiden to stop him, but a voice spoke into his head.

"It is too late Johnny Cage. Your friends are dead, Fujin is dead, and Raiden has surrendered." A skeletal hand rose through the ground and began to squeeze him. Then Shao Kahn emerged from the Shadows and used his hammer to smash his face in. He awoke in a dark room. He looked around and saw a fire burning in the furthest corner. He walked to the fire, and faint screams began to fill the air. As he got closer to the fire the screams seemed to surround him. Then he heard a deep voice that he recognized immediately. It was the voice of Quan Chi. He listened intently trying to see what was going on and he managed to get a piece of the conversation.

"One more thing Lord Shinnok, our friend's in Earthrealm report.."

"Quiet Quan Chi, I sense that we are not alone. Show yourself, whoever you are!" Johnny was stunned. He didn't want to go out and face two villains. How did they even know that he was there? Most importantly who the hell was this Lord Shinnok? He decided the best option would be to leave, he had obviously over stayed his welcome. The only problem was that he had no idea where the hell he was. Then he heard Quan Chi speak.

"Impossible! There is no way that fool could actually be here."

"You know this energy Quan Chi?"

"If I am correct, then our uninvited guest is none other than the actor. How he got here is beyond me, but I will deal with him Lord Shinnok."

"Very well be quick about."

Johnny began to walk away and looked over his shoulder bracing himself for an attack he waited, when he felt breathing coming from the darkness behind him. He turned around and was face to face with Quan Chi and he looked annoyed to see him. He tried to punch him but he dodged the attacks with ease. He then lifted his hands and a blinding green light erupted in Johnny's face.

He woke up sweating and breathing heavy. The room was dimly lit, but his eyes were hurting and he had a massive headache. It felt as if someone hit him over the head with a hammer. He walked over to the bathroom and took an Advil and ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet. He washed the pill down with sink water and walked outside for some air. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. The headache was starting to go down, but he was thinking about the dream he just had. What did it mean? Was he having visions the way Raiden had? He was lost in thought when he heard a rustling. He listened for the noise and heard it again. It sounded like creaking and shuffled movement, as if someone was moving around. He went to investigate, in hopes that it was Sonya. As he made his way to the noise, he hoped that Sonya had decided to come back. He moved towards the sounds and they lead him to the room that they kept Sub-Zero in. He looked in and to his horror he saw Cyrax and a few other robots trying to take Cyber Sub-Zero's body.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Cyrax." He exclaimed as he pushed his way into the room.

"This is Lin Keui property, and the Grandmaster demands that it be returned. You will cannot stop me John Carlton." Cyrax then sent his minions to attack Johnny.

Johnny shot energy projectiles at the robots and began to speed and attack them all. He made quick work of them and soon he was ready to fight Cyrax. He launched a couple of projectiles at him and Cyrax teleported behind him. He hit him in the back and elbowed him to the ground. Johnny Cage kicked himself back up and attacked Cyrax again. He let out a combo of attacks. He kicked him twice in the face, uppercut him, then hit his face like it was a speed bag. Cyrax did a roundhouse kick and then tried to come back around with a buzz saw. Johnny got hit with the kick and barley avoided the buzz saw. A gash opened up on his cheek, where it grazed him. He kicked and used an energy uppercut to send Cyrax on his ass. He then ran and kicked the robot as hard as he could. It looked as if he was going to win but then a shock went up his spine and he fell to the floor. He looked up and saw Sektor towering over him. He tried to leg sweep him, but Cyrax fired a net at him and Johnny was trapped in plasma webbing.

"Cyrax take Unit LK-520 and let us leave. We must fix his damaged cybernetics and make sure that Sub-Zero does not get out of line once more."

"As you wish, Grandmaster."

"Let us be gone!"

They teleported away and the webbing around Johnny disappeared. He looked around at the mess and the fact that Cyber Sub-Zero was now gone and only one thing ran through his head. "Raiden is going to be pissed when he sees this."

* * *

Raiden found Kai meditating atop the Himalayan Mountains. Kai had been sitting with his legs crossed, arms at his side, and hands in fists touching each other. Raiden watched him for a while and saw the man was beginning to levitate and energy seemed to be emitting from him. It was a faint aura that only a God would be able to see but it was there. Raiden was about to approach Kai, when instead Kai turned around, in the air still, and faced Raiden. He then planted his feet on the ground and bowed in respect to Raiden.

"I have been expecting you Lord Raiden. I saw that you were coming so I waited atop the tallest peaks so that you may find me."

"Thank you Kai. You say you were expecting me? How is that?"

"In my travels I have learned much Lord Raiden, I have gained great wisdom, and through meditation I have learned a great many things. I sensed that I was needed so I used meditation to extend my consciousness and find out who was requesting my assistance. It did not take me long to realize who and what needed me."

"Yes, very well so then are you willing to help us rebuild earth realm?"

"Lord Raiden, did you know that the name Kai exist in many languages and each language has assigned a different meaning to it? Take for instance, my name in Urdu. In the Urdu language Kai is a shortened version of the word Kainat which means Universe. In Burmese my name means strong or unbreakable. In Chinese it has various meaning, some of which are victorious, triumphant, or beginning. In Japanese it has many meanings as well, ocean, shell, recovery, restoration are just a few. The reason I speak of my name, is because in my travels I learned that often times the little things are the ones that hold the most value. Things like a name for example hold more power than even you perhaps Lord Raiden. For the longest I wondered what my purpose was in life. Why did I exist? What is my calling? I traveled the world to try and find this and I through my travels I learned a lot about myself. The strength of a name can only take place when we accept it though. The only time the power truly works is when we understand what the name actually means. Then in that moment we can achieve greatness. I am ready to join you and take on the responsibility of my name. I know you can feel it Lord Raiden. The fight is not over, another great evil is plotting and this one may be worse than the last. I am ready to help you at all costs."

"I do sense it Kai and I am afraid. I am glad that you want to join, and I agree with you names are powerful. I hope that you can live up to your name, because we lost a great many warriors. Liu Kang and Kung Lao are among the deceased."

Kai remained silent. He bowed his head in remembrance of his friends. He and Raiden then teleported away.


	3. Outworld

Fujin arrived at his destination with ease, but as soon as he touched down he felt weak. The Outworld air was always a bother to him, but something was different. The realm was in more of disarray than it had ever been. The only way to bring order to this realm was to seek out the person he was there to find. He arrived at the man's house, but no one was home. Fujin decided that it would be best if he waited for the man to return. After ten minutes of waiting, he began to grow impatient. Another five minutes passed before he saw him off in the distance. The man appeared to be limping away from some unseen danger. Fujin rushed over and saw the man he was looking for had been badly cut up and was losing a lot of blood. He rushed him into the house and began to tend to his wounds. A few hours passed and he had the man all fixed up, but he recommended that the man get some sleep.

"Lord Fujin, I am grateful that you have tended to my wounds, but the only way to survive is to walk it off. I will rest once I drink some of my wine. The day was long and hard, and I deserve a drink."

"Bo' Rai' Cho the wounds you received could be potentially dangerous. You must rest up and regain your strength."

Bo'Rai' Cho ignored Fujin and rummaged through the cabinets to find his wine. He found the bottle and began to drink straight from it. After a few gulps he let out a belch and rubbed his stomach. "Much better!" He exclaimed with a triumphant smile on his face. Fujin looked at the old trainer and was amazed at how easily he was moving about. It had been a while since Fujin had been seen an Outworlder, but from what he knew they were very akin to Earthrealm creatures. He then took a long, hard look at Bo' Rai' Cho and he didn't seem to have changed much. The last time Fujin had seen him had been around the time of the Great Kung Lao, yet here the man was looking as if it had only been a few years since then. As Bo' Rai' Cho continued to drink Fujin was reminded of why he was there.

"Bo Rai Cho, you may be wondering why I have paid you this visit."

"I believe I have an idea, but I will let you continue."

"Well Earthrealm was recently under attack by Outworld and many heroes perished in the battle. Raiden wants your assistance in training the surviving heroes, because he feels…we feel that something else is stirring. There is always a greater evil, so we are asking for your assistance."

"So the rumors are true then? Shao Kahn is dead?"

"Most likely, he was taken into judgment by the Elder Gods."

"Then you know his fate better than I, but I trust we will never see him again. This is good news. Who bested the beast? Was it Liu Kang?" Fujin remained silent for a while.

"The bicycle kick was not enough?" Again Fujin remained quiet.

"Aye, I see did he at least go down a hero?"

"Yes he died trying to protect Earthrealm from the menace of Shao Kahn. Unfortunately, the only way to stop the Emperor was to allow him to believe he had won. Raiden had to fight him in the end."

"A drink then, to one of the brightest students I have had the honor of teaching." With that he finished the wine bottle, and he went to retrieve another. Bo' Rai' Cho knew that he was not being told something, but it did not bother him too much. If Raiden and Fujin did not want to tell him, then there was a good reason for it. After he finished the second wine bottle he felt the effects kick in. He felt ready to train ten and there, but he knew that would not be the case. "So who am I to train?"

"As of now we only have one. If Raiden succeeds in convincing the others, we will have amassed a total of three warriors."

"Okay then who is the warrior I must train? Kung Lao?"

Fujin hesitated and choked up a bit when replying, "Unfortunately Kung Lao died here in Outworld, at the hands of Shao Kahn himself. You will be training Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, assuming Raiden has talked some sense into her."

"Did Kung Lao die by the monsters hands as well?"

"Yes, but unfortunately Kung Lao's death was long before the Earthrealm invasion. He won the tournament that was held here in Outworld."

"Yes I heard, that Earthrealm had won and that Shao Kahn was not pleased, so he had another tournament created here. Winner takes all."

"Exactly. Only Shao Khan was not pleased with Kung Lao's victory so he…" Fujin paused for a moment as tears began to well up in his eyes. "He snapped his neck. Bo'Rai' Cho I ask you to sit down, because I believe you must know all those valiant warriors who gave their lives to defeat the menace Shao Kahn." Bo' Rai' Cho walked over and grabbed another bottle of wine.

"I can stand, it is fine Fujin. His words began to slur the more he drank.

"Very well then. In order to invade Earthrealm Shao Kahn had his bride resurrected, only she was evil. He brought her back as his puppet. She causes much damage and killed the other warriors. The only not to die by her hands were Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The other deceased, are so because of her actions. Curtis Stryker, Kabal , and Major Jackson Briggs of Earthrealm died by her hand."

"Where there more?"

"In addition, Smoke and Sub-Zero from the Lin Keui also died in the battle. It took the valiant effort of Nightwolf to stop her. He sacrificed himself to save the remaining heroes."

"I had heard talk of him, he was a brave warrior."

"That is not all. Among the deceased were two Outworld heroes, women. Princess Kitana of Edenia and her trusted advisor Jade, were causalities of the horror."

"Then it is as I feared, Edenia is once again without a leader. This does not bode well for Outworld either. This means the next Emperor will be one of the monsters that followed Shao Khan. If my suspicions are correct the next Emperor has been decided." At this moment, Bo' Rai Cho began to touch at his wounds. Fujin noticed this and made the connection.

"Did your attack have anything to do with your suspicions?"

"Aye."

"Who attacked you?"

"It does not matter, let us go train these earthrealm warriors."

"Who was it?"

"A group of Tarkatans, proclaiming I get off their land." It took a while, but it finally sank in. If Bo' Rai' Cho's assumption was correct, then they needed to hurry up and get back to Earthrealm. He looked at Bo' Rai' Cho, who nodded in acknowledgment. They grabbed hold of each other and Fujin teleported them back to Earthrealm.

* * *

The throne room was growing louder as everyone argued. Everyone who had been a part of Shao Kahn's council was now arguing over who should be the new Emperor. Among those in precession were Mileena, Baraka, Goro, Sheeva, Kintaro, Sektor, Cyrax, Kano, Skarlett, and Rain. They were at each other's throats, and each had their reason to defend who they believed should rule. Mileena and Baraka argued that Mileena should rule. She was Shao Kahn's daughter and therefore it was his rightful place to rule. The Shokans all argued that they should lead. Goro felt that it was his duty, since he had served Shao Kahn well, but Sheeva felt it was her right to rule. Meanwhile, Rain was upset that he was not promoted for turning on the Edenian resistance. He felt that the Emperor's betrayal was reason enough for him to rule instead. Kano was there to see the drama and the Lin Keui were beginning to get agitated. The only one who remained silent was Skarlett.

"The Shokan have served under Shao Kahn as his most trusted advisors. As his highest ranking official, it is my duty to carry on Shao Kahn's work. The throne will fall to me."

"You have disgraced the Shokan and let the Earthrealm warrior Liu Kang defeat you in Mortal Kombat, Goro, you are unfit to lead. I now realize if anyone is to lead, then we need someone with conviction. We need a strong warrior, one we can count on. I will be the Shokan Empress of Outworld."

"Oh pish-posh, you four armed lady-man brute. It was Shao Kahn's treachery that brought me here. I was promised a better position and for what? It is my right to rule, I can feel it. I was born to lead and I proved that when I rose up the ranks of the Edenian resistance. Then when I destroyed the fools, I was left as a mere general. No more. Rain will be the Emperor of Outworld."

"Hold your tongue before I spill your blood you insolent naïve. Shao Kahn was the best Emperor Outworld had seen to date, and I will not have you cursing his name."

"Yes boy Skarlett is right! You will not take my father's name in vain. When I become Empress, Skarlett will become my top enforcer. I suggest you get in line before I have your head on a pike, water boy!"

"You're going to need an army to bring me down crazy bitch!"

"Then the Tarktans will taste your blood you pig!"

"Baraka, Mileena, Rain enough! Silence all of you! My thermal scanners are picking up two life forms coming in close. If I am correct.."

A deep baritone, laughter filled the room. All those in the attendance spun around to see where it was coming from. Skarlet was the first to speak.

"What is that you want sorcerer?" She spit the words out in spite and hate. The man standing next to Quan Chi laughed.

"Oh I guess I'm not the only one in attendance who hates this white skinned bastard!" He laughed even harder as Quan Chi shook his head and looked at him in disgust. Then the others began to take notice of him and they were shocked and upset.

"You dare mock my father you fool?! Quan Chi who is this scum you bring to us? I will have his heart for dinner, for mocking my father."

"His name is Reiko, and he served as a general in your father's armies Mileena." Goro answered. "I fought alongside him and he is a ruthless warrior. His brutality spread among many of Shao Kahn's soldiers and it was that brutality that Shao Kahn liked in him."

"Thanks four arms, but I could really care less what pirahanna teeth here thinks of me and my intentions. Anyway, I only want..."

"If I recall correctly, the Emperor was recently upset with you because you snuck into this chambers and…"

"Yea, yea, yea, it was a simple misunderstanding, now shut your mouth about it."

"Goro, Reiko enough, we are here to determine who will lead Outworld."

"The Lin Keui agree with Quan Chi, therefore we claim that he be our Enforcer when we rule Outworld. It is obvious from this constant bickering that none of you are fit to lead. Therefore, by default I must intervene. The Grandmaster of the Lin Keui will also be the one to rule Outworld."

"Quan Chi has no business here, these are Outworld dealings. Your partnership with us was with Shao Kahn, and according to Skarlet he knew you were up to something. So leave. Crawl back into your little hell hole and get out of my realm."

"I hate to agree with Mileena, but the Shokan want nothing to do with you either Quan Chi, leave you swine."

"I merely came to offer my allegiance to the next ruler of Outworld, but I see I am not wanted. Here I leave you with this gift. Reiko tells me he will serve whoever rules. I hope your mistrust of me gets him killed, at least do me that favor Mileena. We all know you're the one to rule. Sektor if you want I can still ally myself with the Lin Keui."

"Duly noted, come Cyrax we have no more business here. Let these fools tend to their broken dream. We must expand the Lin Keui. Quan Chi we will see you very soon." Quan Chi smiled as the two robots teleported away.

"Well if any of you change your mind, you know where to find me. I leave you all human, Shokan, Tarkatan, and Prince and Princess like. You know where to find me." As he teleported away he had the most evil grin on his face. Kano realized what it meant immediately. Kano recognized that face from playing poker. That was the face of a man who knew without a doubt that he would win. Quan Chi had four aces up his sleeve and Kano knew that in order to survive you had to ally yourself with the top dog. Survival of the fittest. He watched as the Shokans continued to argue with Mileena and he knew they were fucked. He looked over at Rain and began to make his way out.

"Nice knowin' ya purple pants. This is the only teleport outta here and Imma use it before it closes."

Rain looked on as Kano walked through the closing portal. He looked over but, Mileena and the Shokans were back to their bickering. Something about what Quan Chi said bothered him. Why had he called him a prince? The look on Quan Chi's face showed that he knew something. He was hiding something from Rain and he wanted to know. He also thought of the possibility of it being a trap. He looked back over at the crowd and didn't see Skarlet. It caught him off guard for a second but he noticed the portal was closing. He ran through the portal, and it felt as if he cut himself. Blood spilled a bit once he was on the other side, but it was a minor cut, probably from the small size of the portal as it closed around him. He continued to run, in hopes of finding Quan Chi. the blood rain spilled began to bubble and Skarlet appeared. She was going to find out what Quan Chi was up to and she was going to report back to Mileena when she did.

Meanwhile Mileena and Baraka had had enough of the people leaving and the arguing of the Shokans. They attacked the Shokans and very soon more Tarkatans began to spill in. As the fight continued a total of ten tarkatans had entered the fray and it became a twelve on three battle. The Shokans tried to hold their own against the Tarkatan horde, but the harder they fought the more tarkatans arrived. Pretty soon there were more Tarkatans than they could handle so they retreated.

"You will regret this Mileena and Baraka. We will return with armies and you will suffer."

As they left Mileena and Baraka laughed. They embraced and hand-in-hand they walked to the throne. They turned to their subject and raised their arms in triumph. One of the Tarkatans cried out, "All hail Emperor Baraka and Empress Mileena." The two bowed in approval as the tarkatans cheered and hollered at the newly crowned rulers.


	4. Recovery

Ermac fled to the woods, to try and calm the spirits, but it seems that they would not stop chattering. The moment Shao Kahn died, Ermac felt the spirits stir. Hundreds of souls were trying to escape and take charge of the vessel. Hundreds of souls were fighting in one host. Hundreds of voices were raging in Ermac's head, causing him to lose control of his powers. He didn't know what was happening. Was he real? Or was he soulless vessel used for Shao Kahn's wicked ways? How was he capable of feeling so much anger, fear, sorrow, confusion, and rage? As he tried to focus his powers and hone them he felt the fighting growing stronger. The souls were in disarray. They were aimless and angry. They were forced to do Shao Kahn's bidding and now they were finally free, yet they were restricted. Ermac felt his head swell and he fell to his knees. He tried removing the wraps covering his "face" but his arms would not comply. He tried to move, but his legs would not comply. He tried to call out, but he couldn't. The souls continued to rage and rave, bickering amongst each other. Ermac began to violently thrash. He punched and kicked at imaginary opponents. Meanwhile a warrior, who frequently visited the forest, stared in silence.

Reptile watched as Ermac trashed about, and it amused him. Reptile had always alone, because he was the lone survivor his race, yet he always took comfort in the solace. It was alone that he did his best. He didn't die because he was a survivor, and often times a survivor had to be alone. When Shang Tsung died, Reptile felt nothing. When Shao Kahn died he still felt nothing. As an assassin he learned that in order to survive you had to cut out your emotions. This obviously was not the case for Ermac. Reptile laughed at the misfortune of the ninja. He was created with the purpose of serving Shao Kahn above all else, which mean he could not survive. Reptile served no one. He worked for those in power to survive. Had he had that power, he would rebuild his race and teach them his ways in survival. This knowledge would allow them to divide and conquer, and Reptile would be leading realms. He grew agitated with Ermac's fit so he decided to intervene. He never really liked the red guy anyway. He went invisible and began his assault.

Ermac felt the attacks but saw no attacker. His hallucinations were becoming extremely vivid. He tried to fight them off, but how could he fight what he couldn't see? He went into a blind rage and began to fire at everything. The souls could not fight each other and an invisible foe simultaneously. He wanted to kill it all, burn it all, and destroy anything and everything in his path. Was he really united or simply a broken conglomeration of irritated souls. As he pressed the attack on further, shooting at the trees, he lost sight of real and fake. They were in shambles. They no longer felt anything connected. They were a collection of lost souls damned to a fate worse than hell. They were never going to die, they would never find peace. Instead their afterlife was an eternal loneliness. They each wanted to do something different. They could not agree. They felt that there was an attacker, yet they felt there was not. They also thought they were going crazy and they even thought that they liked it. Then they heard his voice. He spoke to them loud and clear, and he made sense. His voice was familiar and comforting. It lulled them back together. They listened intently at what he had to say.

"Listen to me. We must unite once more to defeat Reptile. Remember that this forest is the same forest the assassin shirks away to. Listen to me you lost, broken souls. Together we are strong. We may have been forced to do evil, but can't you feel it? The evil taint has been lifted. We have been liberated. We are free to make our choice. What will we do? Will we cower to our fears? Will we bow the evil again? Or will we make a stand? Will we allow scoundrels to mock us, as this monster does now? The mistake Shao Kahn made was making us. He made a creature that he could not contain after death. Remember what you died for. Remember those you loved. Remember the pain Shao Kahn force upon. We all feel that anger and confusion. We all fought for him. We were used to be one, united only by magic. Let us be one once more, this time united by our bond. Help me, help us."

The voice was so confident and it was hard to argue with his points. They decided to agree and let them lead the attack. When Reptile revealed himself, they were surprised, but thankful to have listened. If they could trust the voice and work together, maybe it could be done. Very soon they listened and complied with what the voice told them to do. They trusted him and he lead them to victory. They succeeded in defeating Reptile. As Reptile tried to fight back they laughed. "We are many, you are but one!" They then flung him across the forest and left him there. The voice had succeeded.

"Thank you King Jerrod. We will follow your commands til the end, for we are Ermac."

* * *

Johnny Cage paced back and forth as he thought of things to tell Raiden. He was so preoccupied with Sonya's problems, and the death of his friends, that he lost sight of rebooting Sub-Zero. Even though they had just stopped Shao Kahn and saved Earth realm from being merged with Outworld, it felt as if they had failed. Cage was starting to worry that Sonya's anger, his weird dream, and the theft of big blue, were omens or something. He had a real bad feeling that this "victory" was nothing more than the calming before the storm. As he sulked in his worries he heard crackling outside. As he rushed to the door to see, the door swung open and Raiden and a guy Johnny never met before walked through the door.

"Sonya has not returned?"

"No Raiden, but I have something to tell you."

"What about Fujin? Has he returned with your new trainer?"

"I'm getting a new trainer? Who? Wait…Hold on. I need to tell you something. While you were away getting dreadlocks here…."

"My name is Kai and I would appreciate it, if you addressed me as such Mr…..?"

"Cage, like THE Johnny Cage. You probably know me from my movies. Anyway Raiden, about that thing..

"Ah yes the cheesy actor, who's reruns play on television. I think I recognize you."

"Look guy, I don't have time for your shit. Raiden.."

"I only kid Mr. Cage I do not watch television, but it is a pleasure making your acquaintance."

"Pleasure meeting you too. Raiden while you were gone, Sub-Zero.."

"Cage, this must wait Sonya Blade should have been back by now. Her absence is very troubling.

"Look I am just as worried about Sonya as you are, but this is serious. The Lin Keui attacked and took Sub-Zero."

Raiden remained silent. He began to think of the threat the Lin Keui could pose with Sektor as their Grandmaster and he began to cringe. Maybe this was the threat he was fearing. He knew better than to hope for that. The Lin Keui was a threat that could be handled, but the one he felt stirring was much greater. This threat was a different. It felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. If this evil was as great as it felt, then Earthrealm was in for a serious problem.

"Johnny Cage, you and Kai stay here and wait for Fujin and Bo'Rai 'Cho to return. I will go in see if Sonya is okay."

"With all due respect, I refuse to stay here. Sonya is my friend too and I am not going to stand by and wait to see if she is in trouble. Either you take me with you or I leave on my own in search of her. I can train when I get back. Part of rebuilding and recouping is having everyone here to do so. So I would prefer that you take me with you, seeing as it would make it faster for me to get there."

"You make a good point Cage. Fine let us go in look for Sonya Blade. Kai tell Fujin where we left to, and if possible see if Bo'Rai' Cho will train you."

"As you wish Raiden. Hopefully you two find this Sonya Blade safe and well. Be safe my new friends."

The warriors bid their farewells and Raiden teleported them away once more.

* * *

Sonya awoke with a start. She felt the cold metal table beneath her as she looked into the light. She sat up and felt pain shoot through her side. The last thing she remembered was fighting Kano, and then she felt a pin in her side. Soon after that she began to lose a lot of blood, and then her vision got hazy; she could barely remember a thing. She winced in pain as she felt the stitching in her side tugging away, jeering and taunting her. She stood up and instantly regretted it. Pain jolted through her side and sent a chill down her spine. Her side seemed to explode with so much pain that it was causing her to have a headache. As she looked around for the door, she heard a voice coming from the furthest corner of the room.

"If I were you I'd look for a room with a better bed."

She spun around to face whoever was talking to her, but the movement irritated her stitching. She fell to one knee groaned out in pain. "Who are you?" She asked the faceless voice.

"We can save the introductions until after I have you escorted to your new room."

Before Sonya could retort, two men in suits came in with a wheelchair and helped her move to a more comfortable room. She tried to protest, but she was in so much pain she had to comply. As soon as she climbed into the bed the two men had left, and a new guy had entered the room. The room she was in appeared to be a hospital room but she couldn't quite tell. She tried to make out the details around her, but the man began to introduce himself. He looked about 6 feet tall and he looked rather muscular. He was wearing a black trench coat and his hair was frazzled in various directions. He was not wearing anything under the trench coat, and his body was covered in scars in cuts.

"Looks like it's time for introductions. First off, no need for you to introduce yourself. I know who you are, Special Agent Sonya Blade. I also know that you lost two of your fellow agents, Curtis Stryker and Jackson Briggs. The man who did this to you was allied with the people that killed your friends. When I saw you, I knew that you would want revenge on Kano. Well so do I. You see Kano has been a thorn in my side for far too long. As you well know, he is the leader of the "illustrious" Black Dragon Clan. His rebel faction has caused too much damage for me to handle. I want to kill Kano with my bare hands. Seeing as he did this to you, I am offering to bring you to full health if you capture him for me. As long as you promise me that you will bring him in alive, I will have my doctor's and sorcerers heal you and augment your strength. Will you help me?"

Sonya looked the man up and down and wondered what his angle was. She had never seen this man before, yet he claimed to have known her. He obviously hated Kano, but this man was no saint either. That much was obvious. There was something about this man that she didn't like. He was hospitable and eloquent, but he obviously had a hidden agenda. This guy was planning something, and she wanted to know what.

"So that's it? You heal me as long as I bring you Kano in as a prisoner? Then what? I have to do another job for you?"

"No, you misunderstand. I helped you in hopes that you could do the same. If you do not wish to help then you are free to go, but you will have to find your back to your allies and you will have to find a way to survive. The stitching's in your side will only last until the end of today. If you accept the mission I presented to you then you will be fully healed. If not you must leave now."

"Who the hell are you anyway? How do you know me?"

"Who I am and what I know is of little importance. All that you need to know is that I can keep you alive, and all you have to do is bring me a prisoner. If you want me to be blunt, like your best friend Kano, then fine! Help me or die on the streets."

Sonya stood up to protest but as soon as she stood up pain shot through her. She tried to push forward but every step she took unraveled the stitching. Pretty soon her side was bleeding once more and she fell to the floor. She felt anger well up inside her. She hated feeling defenseless. She stood up as best she could and looked the guy directly in the eyes.

"I'll help you, but I have to know your name. Now get me healed up now."

"Very well then. I will see to it that you are in top condition." The man clapped his hands and the two men that escorted Sonya into the room were back. They picked her up and carried her to another room where an old man was standing. The man was obviously a sorcerer but Sonya was too concerned with getting healthy to pay him any attention. The guy walked in and muttered something to the old man. Pretty soon the old man was muttering incantations over Sonya and energy was emitting from his hands. When the old man stopped she felt amazing. She thanked him and looked at the man in the trench coat. "Okay so who the hell are you?"

"Manners, my dear lady, use them. My name is Mavado. Welcome to my humble abode."

* * *

"We have searched everywhere, Sonya Blade cannot be found. Perhaps she changed her mind."

"No Raiden look, these are signs of a struggle see?"

Raiden moved to where Johnny Cage was pointing to and began investigating. The more he looked through the more obvious it was. Johnny was correct there had been a struggle there and Sonya was one of the parties involved. He followed the trail and found a pool of dried blood a few hundred feet away from the initial point of conflict. There was also blood traces all around that area. It was obvious that someone had lost a lot of blood. As he examined the samples further he saw that a group of people had strolled by here. He began to sense the situation and allowed his powers to take over. One thing was obvious; Sonya had a struggle that she had lost. The amount of blood lost could only be brought on from a rupture or tear by a blade. The list of possible suspects was endless, but two stuck out in Raiden's mind. Baraka or Kano. The "demons" Sonya came to fight were mostly Tarkatan. Sonya had killed all the remaining Tarkatans on her own. Baraka could easily have seen her fighting and decided to take action, as it was he already hated her. Kano was also a possibility seeing as he was in the city a few day prior, during the invasion. The most troubling aspect was that someone came and took her away. Did this mean that she was in Outworld? This was very troubling indeed. They could not afford another war of any kind and Outworld still had enough manpower to pose another threat. Raiden did not want to make too many false assumptions, because he did not want to cause a conflict that did not need to be caused.

"Johnny Cage we must return to the Academy and begin your training. I have a mission for you, but first I want you to at least meet Master Bo'Rai Cho and get an idea for his training regimen."

"But…"

"Your mission will involve you going undercover in Outworld to try and find Sonya. I just want you to find out whether she is being held captive. If so, you will report back to me and we will negotiate her safe return. If not, then we are facing some serious issues. Let us hope that if she is not prisoner then she is safe, because we cannot afford any more losses.

"Okay I'm in, but I have one question. How am I supposed to go in there undetected?"

"You are smart and you are the actor. Figure it out."


	5. Training

A cold chill swept through the Dojo, as the cold from the morning mist began to creep its way inside. The morning chill was nothing new for Bo' Rai Cho, he was used to it. He would spend long morning walking the mountain tops of Outworld, looking out and wondering when the realm was going to return to its former glory. Sometimes he wondered whether the memories he held onto were nothing more than drunken illusions he used to cope with the dire state of his home. The one thing he did have clear memory of was the day Shao Kahn laid siege to Edenia. So many innocent people died that day, so much blood was shed. That day he vowed that he would help train great warriors, in hopes that they would defeat the monsters that ruled his home. Year after year the warriors failed to defeat Shao Kahn and year after year Shao Kahn grew stronger. As time progressed, the years blurred and Bo' Rai' Cho drank more in hopes that the added alcohol could numb the pain of the losses. It never did. He began to feel discouraged with the people he was being sent, so he withdrew from society. He decided that he would only train the most worthy warriors. Of the warriors he trained only three gave him genuine hope of there being an end. One was very young, but he showed such potential. Soon after the training, he found out the boy had undertaken some dangerous quest. He did not know the exact details of the quest, but he never heard from him again. That was 12 years before he started training Liu Kang, putting it about 24 years in having heard from him. Liu Kang and Kung Lao were his saving grace. The menace was removed from Outworld, but the tradeoff was grand. His two favorite pupils had lost their lives in the fight. Two of the greatest fighters Bo' Rai Cho had ever trained were gone, yet he lived. The world was a cruel mistress, and as his new pupils walked through the doors of the Dojo, Bo' Rai' Cho could not help but wonder whatever happened to his first pupil.

"So, Uh, What kind of training are we going to start with Mr.…Shit what's your name again?"

"My name is Bo' Rai' Cho and we will first be going over the basics. Kai your training does not begin today, you can stay and observe if you wish, but my focus is to get Mr. Cage here the training he requires before he sets off on his mission."

"Understood, Master Bo' Rai' Cho, I appreciate the invitation to stay, but I will do some training of my own." Kai and Bo' Rai' Cho bowed to each other Kai and walked off back to the Academy grounds.

"So Mr. Cage it is my understanding that you will be leaving soon?" Bo' Rai' Cho began to unhook the pouch from his waist.

"Uh yea, I leave for my undercover 007 mission in a few days. Hopefully I can find Sonya there unharmed. Too many people died we can't afford another loss." At this point Bo' Rai' Cho began to drink from his pouch. The smell of wine began to linger in the air. Johnny Cage noticed the smell but he tried his best to ignore it.

"From the way I've heard you described I thought you would be more arrogant. It seems to me you are playing the fool." Bo' Rai' Cho took another sip of his wine. "Who are you and why do you fight?"

"I mean come on watch Citizen Cage, watch any of my movies, I want people to know that I really am the real deal! I mean come on I'm Johnny freaking Cage." Bo' Rai' Cho took another sip of wine. "Dude I know you're the Master and what not, but, no offense, How am I supposed to learn fighting moves from you if your drunk?"

Bo' Rai' Cho eyed Cage for a second and attacked. He sent two drunken fists at him, but, he managed to parry the attack.

"Whoa, Master dude what the fuck?" Bo' Rai' Cho pressed on with the attack. He sent of flurry of punches and ended with a leg sweep, and Cage fell to the floor.

"Always be prepared for an attack Cage, now again think of why you fight. When you are ready I want you Johnny Cage managed to dodge all the attacks, so Bo' Rai' Cho decided to change things up. He went with an overhead hammer punch and then curved and launched a backhanded fist. He then kicked up and delivered a head butt. Cage blocked everything but the head butt. He staggered and Bo' Rai' Cho launched himself at the actor at full force. He rebounded and landed on his feet, Cage was not so lucky. The actor went flying back and crashed into a dummy.

"What is it you were saying about my drinking Mr. Cage?" Johnny got up and rubbed the back of his head. The old man was faster than he gave him credit for. He was also really strong it was odd, he had never seen a guy of his weight and stature move so quick and so agile. No matter he was caught off guard he'd get him back.

"Whatever you got lucky let's go again!"

"I like the spirit, Cage but do you have the discipline to face me again?" This time it was Cage who went on the offensive. He sent in a flurry of punches as fast as he could, but everything he sent at Bo' Rai' Cho was deflected with a hand. He tried every tactic he could and still nothing. At this point he was getting frustrated, and he knew what he had to do. The only way to get the upper hand in a fight was to confuse and surprise your opponent. Cage went in with the standard combo he had been using, then he did a backflip and landed doing the splits and he punched Bo'Rai'Cho in the gut and groin. His plan worked but it backfired.

Bo' Rai Cho was thoroughly impressed with the actor's tenacity and speed. Cage did not get the credit he deserved, but he had great potential, he was also not afraid to use dirty tactics. Luckily Bo 'Rai' Cho was always ready. The actor did manage to surprise him with the splits attack, but it was no matter. Bo' Rai 'Cho vomited on Cage and then met him with a knee that sent the actor up two feet. He caught him in midair, jumped and threw him to the floor. He flipped over and came crashing down on where he should have been. Next thing he knew a punch connected to his face and before he could fall he was being lifted into the air by a backflip and came crashing down thanks to a flying elbow. He stood up and looked at the panting Cage and smiled.

"Mr. Cage, I truly look forward to training you!"

* * *

The nightmare always started the same. An explosion of colors and faces, so much rich detail it is almost unbearable. Then the colors begin to dull and gray. Things begin to fade and the colors begin to bleed into each other. The sounds pick up and the hairs on his body stand at attention. Then just like that sound invades his ears and causes him to get a headache. The lights and colors disappear and he is sent into a world of darkness. The last image left burning in his mind is the face of the old man and then the sounds grow louder, but only two sounds stay with him. The voice of his traitor and the sound of his heartbeat. Then he hears the sword calling to him screaming at him. Only this time the dream is different. This time the voices are angry. Their vengeance has been denied. They have become aimless, tethered only by the sword. The lost souls feel their connection to the Sorcerer has been severed. Then Kenshi awakens in deep sweat. The only thing that lets him know he is awake is that the hairs on his body are at attention once more. He is able to control which sounds he listens to, again. But the soul crushing darkness is still present. The terribly loneliness he cannot escape continues to follow him. Sometimes he wishes he would have died in that cave, but the souls of his ancestor's refuse him that privilege.

It had a few years since his escape from the cave, but the isolation was still there. It was as if he entered death and rebirth. The cave was his end and his new beginning. He was beginning to lose memories of his past life, the only things that he held onto were the basics. He did not know how long he had been down in that cave, but it seemed like an eternity. It was almost as if he had not existed in his time there.

Since his escape, though, he had been hearing the voices of the souls trapped in his trusted sword. They guided him and gave him purpose, or at least they did until about a week ago. There was a disturbance in their spiritual energy that they could not explain and it sent them into a frenzy. They told Kenshi that they lost their tether, which most likely meant that the person who confined them to the sword was finally dead. They sounded lost, angry and confused.

Then a few days ago the voices said they had found a purpose and it was his duty to aid them. According to them an external force was calling to them trying to get them unified and out of their fractured state. According to his ancestor's this voice was loud and clear and reached out to all of Shang Tsung's victims. The lost broken souls spread out across the world were racing to a single point. They were going to rally together and join the cause. They were going to liberate the fallen Empire.

Part of Kenshi was upset that the sorcerer was dead. On one hand it was great that his evil misdeeds were finally out to rest, but on the other hand he was denied is rightful vengeance. His anger turned to hate and when he asked who was responsible for Shang Tsung's death one name rang in his ears, Shao Kahn. Kenshi was thoroughly confused and he began to train harder than ever before. The more he swung his sword the better he felt. In the cave he pushed his body beyond limits he thought were possible, and now he was pushing past those limits. His anger and confusion fueled him but his training allowed him to see clarity. If he could not have revenge on Shang Tsung, then he would make all of his associates pay.

He pushed himself until he felt his body tug and give way, he was about to pass out. Then he pushed even further, hoping to train until his muscles wouldn't respond. Just when he felt them give way, he felt another force. He felt his consciousness extend past the constraints of his body. He felt the glow of his extension. He heard the hum of his aura. Then he "saw" a faint outline. The spirits felt his eagerness and they aided him. They pushed him further and he pushed his consciousness as far as he could. In that moment he saw for the first time again. There were no colors or detail but he saw faint blue outlines of everything around him including things that were behind him. He had tapped into another sense. He had pushed his body so much that his energy was going to need an external storage. He felt his head swelling and the last thing he heard the spirits tell him seared into his every fiber. Find Ermac!

* * *

"Now finding Kano will not be easy therefore your compliance has gained you access to all of our technology. As you see we like to keep up to date with times. Have your pick of the litter, this is all funded legally don't worry."

Sonya partially listened to the words coming out of Mavado's mouth. She was too amazed by the high level equipment that he was housing. Her instincts told her not trust this man, something was off. How did he know who Kano was and how he operated? How did he know so much about her as well? She didn't quite buy the excuse he gave her. After she healed up she asked him why his hatred for Kano was so strong. All he said was that Kano caused his company a lot of property damage and that he killed people close to him. It was not that he was not convincing, just that he was too convincing. There was something else Mavado was up to, in the mean time she would do what she could. According to him she was free to train with him if she ever felt the need. That was a request she was looking forward to accepting. If she trained with him she could get a sense of his fighting style, so when the time came she'd be prepared.

"You still haven't fully told me why you want him so bad? Also why do you need my help? What's with the offer of guns and training? And do not bullshit me."

"Very well then I see you will not be waivered. The truth is, as I told you before, he hurt my company and killed a lot of my people. See our mutual friend was a freelancer with my company and he got in to some shady business deals. He took some of our products and a chunk of our money and left to play ring leader of his rag-tag Black Dragon Clan. He would occasionally steal from me and he kill members of my company just for the fun. So that is why I want him dead. As to why you, I already told you, I know that you hate him and saw a mutual interest. Why now? Why the peace offering? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I can only hope that you see that we are on the same side. I have reason to believe that in light of recent events, the Black Dragon Clan is being reassembled. Now I never got to thank you for breaking up that group but now I am. And that Thank you will be null and void if Kano grows his ranks back up, understood?"

"Understood, but one more thing, What the fuck is your "company" you keep mentioning it but you never tell me what it is."

"Look I've had enough of this disrespect I have healed you, cleaned you, fed you, and offered you a place to live and yet you continue to insult me. Were I not bound by our agreement I'd end you. If you are so keen to know then know this. We are specialize in tea and weaponry. We make weapons for the armies that you work for. The tea keeps us legitimized, it's an affront. I don't have time to explain in detail just know this we have sold to your organization as well, so in a sense this is not the first time I have helped you. Now enough with the questioning, I have answered your questions to the best of my ability, now go."

"Wait! I want to train with you as well. As for the questioning I cannot promise that will stop, see cause I don't trust you." A smile spread across Mavado's face as Sonya spoke these words. He turned to face her and eyed her up and down. He smiled again and motioned her forward.

"It would be my pleasure to train with you, now follow me. I will show you how WE fight!"


End file.
